The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1887-05-19
Headerson LEGAL Optics Law.

on subject that vitality affects our
{ eommunity in general and our town
in particular, viz: the Local Option
Law. Last year it was decided by
public vote that said law should be in
force within the corporate limits of the
town Of Henderson. It is to be re-
gretted that some oficious and no
doubt interested party has presented a
list of signatures to the Board of Com
missioners praying that another vote
be taken on the same subject. We pre-
sumo that the principal reason given is
the same we frequently hear spoken,
viz: that local option has not put down
the drinking system; true, it certainly
has not, and moreover it never will; if
it should make the attempt there would
be an interference Of free agency; it
was not enacted and passed into law
for any such purpose. The spirit and
letter of that law is, that after the ma
jority of the citizens say By their vote
that the traffic in whlskey and kindred
spirits is mischievous and dangerous to
the best interests of their community, |
and that the sale thereof shall be put |
down by law; then local option steps |
in and orders the doors of the drink |
ing places to be closed and that is
about all it can do: but says vested in
terest and established custom, since
local option does not prevent drinking |
it is dead letter and ought tobe re-
pealed. Pshaw! lame excuse is bet |
ter than none at all; it is we'll known |
fact that after the human palate has
been subjected to the use of alcohol,
the enchanting taste cultivated, and
the dangerous habit formed, that no
law, human or Divine can as long as
its devotees are able to bend the ell
bow joint prevent such from absorbing
the drunkards drink even if they are
necessitated to reach for it to within a
few feet of the general distillery, and
were sure that the tips of their fingers
| would be scorched in the attempt.
Because a few soAiskey d,Inke,s fetf a
bottle tn their poeket the option lav IS
a failure, and SO are, all other laws
failures for the matter Of that. We
have laws both human and Divine
against the crime of murder, yet if we
are to believe the public press, murder
is being continually committed on a
large scale. How very philanthropic,
and patriotic some of our fellow-citi-
zens must be to put themselves to the
trouble of getting law repealed, just
because it gets broken once in while.
We have laws both human and Divine
against every known crime, yet they
are all broken occasionally; especially
is Divine law strong against intoxica-
ting drink, and by the way, that |az0
admits OF no local option; we would
ask, is the drinking system the cause
of any laws being broken9 Statistics
say that it is the cause of three -fourths
of the poverty, and nine-tenths of the
crime. Pooh! of course that amounts
| to nothing in the sight Of self consid-
cred legaiized business; but to correct
a popular error we would say that it is
not exactly legalized; the law being
aware of its dangerous propensities and
evil surroundings, instead OF legalizing,
has hampered it with heavy restfic-
tions, with a view to keep it within
bounds. The use of ardent spirits dis
turbs the wonderful nervous system
upsets the mysterious throne of reason
and converts the being who was made
IN the image and likeness fhis Maker
into a temporary raving, dangerous
maniac: and yet there are those among
us. O! tell it not in Gath! who art
doing all they can to re-establish sucf
a demon traffic unblushingly in oui
!. midst. 1t matters not for the welfar'
of the promising youth of our CROWN,
town and community; it matters no
for happy homes made wretched;
Is matters not for Sabbath-school instruc
is ton; it matters not for the sacree
Il teaching of the sanctuary; it matter
@ not for the awful consequences to b
E found in the Divine Code against tn
h use of this destructive, deadly article
= All these offsets are, in the eyes of tn
"traffic," light and chafy. When com
is pared to the profits arising from it
in sale-shali we say from seventy-hs
p to one hundred per cent?
,e Now since this enemy has returne
ID to the charge, what is to be done9
Sc he to have a quiet and gentle wal
over9 No. if every citizen good an
true will do their duty, and who Ia,
e. the happiness Of their homes, the we
t; fare, respectability, and good name
ur their town at heart, if they will pla'
ur themselves in a strong military pos
- ton and nobly do their duty on q
day Of battle, we shall have no tear .
the result. Let us not forget tn
as ,kowaa wa in strong drink lga liss sf al Oh 9th
''s clever set Of tobacco men than those
nd Henderson. As a rule they are young me
know how to make the stranger feel cas-
i'm their midst and are equally acqnainfe
with the rules of money making TIL
flown IL out of debt, Is growing i'm popula
:, 4 ton and business aud has q most health
y and substantial outlook.
Il The sketches annexed below are not b
any means as full and complete as they de
serve to be, and yet the reader who give
i them a close perusal will CLEAN some kle
: IL the pushy gentlemen who rule the foi,ar
% trade Of prosperous Henderson.